Harness frame for looms



May 3, 1955 P. c. coNsoLl-:TTI

HARNESS FRAME FoR Looms ATTORNEY United States Patent O ELARlNlESS FRAME FOR LOOMS Paul C. Console'tt, Milford, Mass., assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application December 11, 1953, Serial No. 397,700

8 Claims. (Cl. 139-92) This invention pertains to improvements in harness frames for looms, and more particularly, to a novel combination Within such frames for supporting the heddle load at the ends only of those rods which carry the heddles and wherein those rods intermediate their ends, are restrained against lateral deflection only.

It is a general object of the invention to improve harness frames of the type described by eliminating certain undesirable characteristics thereof which result from deection of the frames, especially at the top and bottom rails thereof as has been experienced with frames heretofore devised. Deflection of the rails deilects the heddle supporting rods accordingly thereby causing the heddles to bind on the rods thus setting up undue stresses and preventing the heddles and warp threads carried thereby from assuming their proper position incidental to the weaving function.

It is a more specific object of the invention to devise a harness frame in which the heddle supporting rods are sustained at their ends only, that is, within the end struts only thereby to permit the rods to carry their load Without further restraint except that of preventing lateral deflection of the rods by an interconnection to the top and bottom rails.

Other objects of the invention will become evident from the following description.

In harness frames the rectangular structure commonly employed comprises top and bottom rails which may be formed or" wood or of metal and end struts, the latter most often being of metal, although wooden filler pieces are sometimes employed therewith. This rectangular structure is fairly rigid, but for looms of wider width and when operating at relatively high speeds, the rails must suffer a certain amount of deflection since the parts are fairly thin in order to provide for a maximum number of frames within the permissible space allotted for them and in order to keep the weight of the rapidly reciprocating parts down to a reasonable figure. The heddles are preferably freely slideablev along heddle rods which, according to all previous constructions, have been supported at their ends and also intermediate their ends by a number of more or less fixed or rigid supports such as the slide hooks or other restraining means which interconnect the rails and their adjacent rods. One result of using such a construction has been that deflection of the rails themselves has been conveyed on to the rods so that as the rails are bowed, the rods tend to conform thereto and separate especially at their mid sections since the top rail is pulled upwardly while the bottom rail is drawn in a downward direction thereby tending to elongate a great many of the heddles, especially at those points where the rods are separated to the greatest extent. The result obviously is an undesirable one since the heddles arefI strained and sometimes broken and even if they are not broken, they are prevented from moving or adjusting their position along the rods so that they may become improperly spaced and may not find their proper position 2,707,496 Patented May 3, 1955 as they would normally do if they were permitted to slide freely as originally intended.

In overcoming the difficulties above mentioned, the invention contemplates a frame of more or less typical construction in that top and bottom rails and end struts may be of the usual type and the interconnection from the rails to the harness top motion and to the treadles or other harness reciprocating means may be of any convenient type. However, the heddle carrying rods the cross-section of which is of much greater dimension in the plane of the frame itself as compared to its thickness and which therefore have a great deal of resistance against deflection due to the heddle load are supported at their ends only, that is, insofar as carrying the heddle load is concerned. It has been found that in most situations the heddle load is not sufficient to deflect these rods unduly even if they are supported only at their ends so long as a proper lateral restraint is provided. In order to accomplish this latter function, a plurality of lateral restraining members are provided and these members may take any one of several different forms as will hereinafter be described in greater detail. These lateral restraining members, however, do not have any effect whatsoever in tying the rods to their adjacent rails so that deflection of the ICC " rails does not impart to the rods a corresponding amount of deection as has heretofore been the case. If the rods themselves are deflected slightly due to the heddle load, that deflection is in such direction that it does not strain the heddles and does not cause them to bind on the rod or prevent their free movement along the rod as may be required.

In certain instances where extremely wide harness frames are employed, the lateral restraining member or members may be of such form as to stiffen the rod against the heddle load.

The invention will be described in greater detail hereinafter by referene to the accompanying figures of drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a harness frame to which the invention has been applied.

Fig. 2 shows a similar frame wherein a different means has been employed for restraining the rod ends against longitudinal movement.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing in detail a part of the lateral restraining means.

Fig. 4 is a section taken at line 4 4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section showing a modification wherein the rail is of extruded metal rather than of wood.

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a modified form of lateral restraining means.

Fig. 7 is a section taken at line 7 7, Fig. 6.

Now referring to Fig. l, the harness frame is formed from top and bottom rails 10 and 11 which may be of wood or of metal and which are suitably interconnected to the end struts 12 and 13 which may preferably be of formed strip metal having a wooden filler piece intermediate said strips, the whole being tied into a unified assembly in which considerable strength and rigidity may be built. A plurality of heddles H are threaded on the rods 14 and 15 which are of rectangular cross section and the ends of which pass through suitable slots or are restrained within suitable notches or indentations in the end struts 12 and 13. They are restrained therein in any convenient manner but preferably by clamping' means generally designated by numeral 16 and not shown or described in greater detail here since the end struts, the

" notched receiving indentations and these clamping means are preferably of the form shown in my Patent #2,556,- 468. The weight of the heddles and the load carried thereby are entirely supported by the rods and this heddle load is transmitted to the frame at the rod ends only at that point where they are held in the end struts. No

intermediate load sustaining means of the usual type is employed between the rods and the rails so that deflection of the rails is not transmitted to the rods.

The cross section of these rods 14 and 15 shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4 is such that there is considerable rigidity in the plane of the frame but not a great deal laterally thereof. it has been found that the rigidity of the rods is in most instances suicient to carry the heddle load without undue deflection under that load so long as lateral deflection is prevented. For purposes of the latter, one method and means for restraining the rods against such undesired movement is evident at these Figs. l, 3 and 4 wherein a plurality of plates 18 are interconnected in some satisfactory manner to the rods intermediate their top and bottom edges, for example, by rivets 19, or by a strip such as the strip 20, Fig. 3, welded or otherwise attached to both the plate and the rod. The heddle ends of the heddles H are of the C-shaped type so that they slide the entire length of the rods without interference with the rivets 19 or other interconnecting means between the rods and the plates. The plates are offset as at 21 so that the upper end thereof assumes substantially the same plane as the rod 14 and is held or restrained laterally within a notch or groove 22 cut along the length and at the inside portion of the rail. This groove terminates short of the ends of the rails. The groove 22 is of such dimension that the plate 18 fits loosely therein thereby permitting movement within a a limited extent but of only such extent as to permit lengthwise or vertical movement of the plate within the groove while it is restrained laterally to possible movement of a few thousandths of an inch. The resulting structure is thus one in which the rods 14 and 15 carry their heddles in such manner that the heddle ends or loops are always freely movable along the length of the rods and yet are suitably supported and restrained so that the entire frame behaves in a more nearly theoretically correct fashion in performing its intended function.

Now observing the lower rail of Fig. l, a plate 18 is formed similarly to the separate plates 18 at the top rail and is maintained within a groove 22 at the bottom rail. This plate 18' is of such length and is so connected by rivets or otherwise to the rod 15 that it strengthens the latter longitudinally as may be advisable with frames of considerable length. The plate, however, actually interconnects the rod and the rail only for the purpose of restraining lateral deflection of the rod. Obviously, the top and lower part of the frame would for any particular installation be the same since deflection of the top rod in one direction of movement is not far different from that of the bottom rod during movement in the opposite direction. This Fig. l has been used to illustrate two possible forms which the invention may take.

In Fig. 2 the heddles are supported by mechanism as in Fig. 1, the principles of the invention being applied in the manner hereinabove described, but the rods 23 and 24 are held in a different type of end strut 25 wherein there is no filler, and also wherein the rods extend through a slot in the parallel strips of the end struts extending outwardly as at 26 to be locked in position by the angularly bent end of a wire detent 27 which passes through a suitable hole in the end Z6 of the rod. This type of restraining means for the rod is known and, of course, this and other modifications of the actual means by which the ends of the rods are restrained may be substituted for the clamping means above mentioned and shown in Fig. 1.

In the event a wooden rail is employed that rail is slotted by means of a saw or other suitable woodcutting implement. It is contemplated that these rails may be of extruded material such as the extruded aluminum or other rail 28 having a bead 29 at the top for the connection of harness attaching means and being slotted at its lower extending portion 3i) for reception of the plate 31 adapted to prevent lateral deliection of the accompanying heddle rod. Other shapes and forms of extruded or other metal rails are adapted to be employed and it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to any or all of these.

Now referring to Figs. 6 and 7, a rail 32 may have attached thereto a pivoted, latching, forked detent gen erally indicated by numeral 33 which prevents lateral movement of the accompanying rail 34. This type of lateral restraining means avoids the attachment of other members to the rod itself which is actually free from ond to end and may have threaded thereon a plurality of heddles of the type having closed loops or ends rather than the C-shaped heddle ends of Figs. 3 and 4.

The detents 33 are forked as at 35 and 36 so as to embrace the rods and maintain them laterally aligned and against any twisting tendencies and are interconnected by a pivot means such as a rivet 37 passing through the laterally bent ears 38 and 39 of the detent. These provide a hinge with the eye of the screw 40 which is threaded into the rail 32. A spring 41 has a slot 42 intermediate its ends 43 and 44 which are held within suitable indentations in the adjacent edge of the rail. There is suiiicient resilience to this spring member so that the sides thereof adjacent the slot 42 bear against the fiat end surfaces of the ears 38 and 39 to maintain the detent either in the full line position, Figs. 6 and 7, or the dot-and-dash line position of Fig. 6, in the iirst of which the bar is restrained laterally and the second of which the detent is withdrawn so that heddles may be threaded onto the rods and moved lengthwise thereof as desired. Once the required number of heddles have been threaded onto the rods and have been properly spaced thereon the detents are then snapped into the full line position thereby serving to restrain the rods laterally but having no effect whatsoever on their load carrying characteristics. They merely hold the rods in the plane of the frame.

The number of plates 18 or detents 33 and spacing thereof will vary for different installations, but may be easily determined from trials or by proper computations. Of course, the harness frame actuating means may be of any type and the invention is to be advantageously employed in all situations where the shedding function imposes upon the frame rails stresses which deilect the rails to an appreciable extent.

Frames according to the invention may be used clicctively for all types of weaving and they are equally suited to the well known warp tying mechanisms as are used for conventional frames. It is no longer necessary to crimp or otherwise detiect out of the plane of the heddle a portion of the material thereof for the purpose of building in a small amount of lengthwise extensibility as has heretofore been done sometimes in an effort to keep heddle breakage at a minimum.

While one embodiment and certain modifications of the invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

l. In a loom harness frame the combination of top and bottom rails and end struts, and adjacent each said rail a heddle supporting rod, and means for retaining tbc ends of said rods within the end struts thereby to support the rods, heddles and the forces incidental to shedding, at the rod ends only, and other means interconnect ing each rod and its adjacent rail for restraining the rod against lateral deflection only.

2. In a loom harness frame the combination of top and bottom rails, end struts and heddle supporting rods adjacent and parallel to said rails, means restraining the rail ends only within said end struts to support the heddle load, and other means intermediate the ends of the rods and rails for restraining the rods against lateral deection only.

3. In a loom harness frame the combination of top and bottom rails, end struts and heddle supporting rods adjacent and parallel to said rails, means restraining the rail ends within said end struts to support the heddle load at. the rod ends only, and other means intermediate the ends of the rods and rails and attached to one of them and having laterally restrained engagement only with the other for maintaining the said rods against lateral deection.

4. In a loom harness frame the combination of top and bottom rails, end struts and heddle supporting rods adjacent and parallel to said rails, means restraining the rail ends within said end struts to support the heddle load at the rod ends only, and other means comprising at least one plate fixed to each rod intermediate its ends and having engagement with the adjacent rail by which it is restrained laterally only thereby to prevent lateral deection of the rod.

5. In a loom harness frame the combination of top and bottom rails, end struts and heddle supporting rods adjacent and parallel to said rails, means restraining the rail ends Within said end struts to support the heddle load at the rod ends only, and other means comprising at least one plate fixed to each rod intermediate its ends and extending into a slot in the adjacent rail by which it is restrained in a lateral direction only thereby to prevent lateral deection of the rod.

6. In a loom harness frame the combination of top and bottom rails, end struts and heddle supporting rods adjacent and parallel to said rails, means restraining the rail ends within said end struts to support the heddle load at the rod ends only, and other means comprising at least one plate fixed to each rod intermediate its ends and conforming to said rod for a substantial portion of its length thereby to stiten the rod and extending into a slot in the adjacent rail by which it is restrained in a lateral direction only thereby to prevent lateral deiection of the rod.

7. In a loom harness frame the combination of top and bottom rails, end struts and heddle supporting rods adjacent and parallel to said rails, means restraining the rail ends within said end struts to support the heddle load at the rod ends only, and other means comprising a member attached to said rail and having engagement with the sides only of the adjacent rod intermediate its ends for restraining it against lateral deection.

8. In a loom harness frame the combination of top and bottom rails, end struts and heddle supporting rods adjacent and parallel to said rails, means restraining the rail ends within said end struts to support the heddle load at the rod ends only, and other means comprising a hinged, forked member attached to said rail and having engagement with the sides only of the adjacent rod intermediate its ends for restraining it against lateral deflection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,002,548 Ragan May 28, 1935 2,019,821 Kaufmann Nov. 5, 1935 2,461,496 Kaufmann Feb. 8, 1949 2,635,645 Kaufmann Apr. 21, 1953 

